Perfume

==Aromatics sources==

===Plant sources===
[[File:Citrus x limon Blüten und Schädlinge.JPG|thumb|upright|Citrus tree blossom]]
[[File:Myrrh.JPG|thumb|Resins in perfumery include [[myrrh]]]]
[[File:Frankincense 2005-12-31.jpg|thumb|Frankincense]]

Plants have long been used in perfumery as a source of essential oils and aroma compounds. These aromatics are usually [[secondary metabolites]] produced by plants as protection against [[herbivore]]s, infections, as well as to attract [[pollinator]]s. Plants are by far the largest source of fragrant compounds used in perfumery. The sources of these compounds may be derived from various parts of a plant. A plant can offer more than one source of aromatics, for instance the aerial portions and seeds of [[coriander]] have remarkably different odors from each other. [[Orange (fruit)|Orange]] leaves, blossoms, and fruit zest are the respective sources of [[petitgrain]], [[neroli]], and [[orange oil]]s.
* '''[[Bark (botany)|Bark]]''': Commonly used barks include [[cinnamon]] and [[cascarilla]]. The fragrant oil in [[sassafras]] root bark is also used either directly or purified for its main constituent, [[safrole]], which is used in the synthesis of other fragrant compounds.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Dugan|first=Holly|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eQMwptJKG5IC&q=perfume+bark&pg=PP1|title=The Ephemeral History of Perfume: Scent and Sense in Early Modern England|date=2011-09-14|publisher=JHU Press|isbn=978-1-4214-0234-5|language=en}}</ref>
* '''[[Flower]]s''' and '''[[blossom]]s''': Undoubtedly the largest and most common source of perfume aromatics. Includes the flowers of several species of [[rose]] and [[jasmine]], as well as [[osmanthus]], [[plumeria]], [[Acacia farnesiana|mimosa]], [[tuberose]], [[Narcissus (plant)|narcissus]], [[Pelargonium graveolens|scented geranium]], [[Vachellia farnesiana|cassie]], [[ambrette]] as well as the blossoms of [[citrus]] and [[ylang-ylang]] trees. Although not traditionally thought of as a flower, the unopened flower buds of the [[clove]] are also commonly used. Most orchid flowers are not commercially used to produce essential oils or absolutes, except in the case of [[vanilla]], an orchid, which must be pollinated first and made into seed pods before use in perfumery.
* '''[[Fruit]]s''': Fresh fruits such as [[apple]]s, [[strawberry|strawberries]], [[cherry|cherries]] rarely yield the expected odors when extracted; if such fragrance notes are found in a perfume, they are more likely to be of synthetic origin. Notable exceptions include blackcurrant leaf, [[litsea|litsea cubeba]], vanilla, and [[juniper|juniper berry]]. The most commonly used fruits yield their aromatics from the rind; they include citrus such as [[orange (fruit)|oranges]], [[lemon]]s, and [[lime (fruit)|limes]]. Although [[grapefruit]] rind is still used for aromatics, more and more commercially used grapefruit aromatics are artificially synthesized since the natural aromatic contains [[sulfur]] and its degradation product is quite unpleasant in smell.
* '''[[Leaves]]''' and '''[[twigs]]''': Commonly used for perfumery are [[lavender]] leaf, [[patchouli]], [[Common sage|sage]], [[violet (plant)|violets]], [[rosemary]], and citrus leaves. Sometimes leaves are valued for the "green" smell they bring to perfumes, examples of this include [[hay]] and [[tomato]] leaf.
* '''[[Resin]]s''': Valued since antiquity, resins have been widely used in [[incense]] and perfumery. Highly fragrant and antiseptic resins and resin-containing perfumes have been used by many cultures as medicines for a large variety of ailments. Commonly used resins in perfumery include [[labdanum]], [[frankincense]]/[[olibanum]], [[myrrh]], [[balsam of Peru]], [[benzoin (resin)|benzoin]]. [[Pine]] and [[fir]] resins are a particularly valued source of [[terpene]]s used in the [[organic synthesis]] of many other synthetic or naturally occurring aromatic compounds. Some of what is called [[amber]] and [[copal]] in perfumery today is the resinous secretion of fossil [[conifer]]s.
*'''[[Root]]s, [[rhizome]]s and [[bulb]]s''': Commonly used terrestrial portions in perfumery include [[iris (plant)|iris]] [[rhizome]]s, [[vetiver]] roots, various rhizomes of the [[ginger]] family.
* '''[[Seed]]s''': Commonly used seeds include [[tonka bean]], [[Daucus carota|carrot seed]], [[coriander]], [[caraway]], [[Cocoa bean|cocoa]], [[nutmeg]], [[mace (spice)|mace]], [[cardamom]], and [[anise]].
* '''[[Wood]]s''': Highly important in providing the base notes to a perfume, wood oils and distillates are indispensable in perfumery. Commonly used woods include [[sandalwood]], [[rosewood]], [[agarwood]], [[birch]], [[Cedrus|cedar]], [[juniper]], and [[pine]]. These are used in the form of macerations or dry-distilled (rectified) forms.
*'''Rom [[terpenes]]'''. Orchid scents

===Animal sources===
[[File:Primary Form of Musk.jpg|thumb|A [[musk]] pod. Extensive hunting of male [[musk deer]] for their pods in recent history has resulted in the detriment of the species.]]
[[File:Ambergris.jpg|thumb|[[Ambergris]]]]
*'''[[Ambergris]]''': Lumps of [[oxidize]]d fatty compounds, whose precursors were secreted and expelled by the [[sperm whale]]. Ambergris should not be confused with [[amber|yellow amber]], which is used in jewelry. Because the harvesting of ambergris involves no harm to its animal source, it remains one of the few animalic fragrancing agents around which little controversy now exists.
*'''[[Castoreum]]''': Obtained from the odorous sacs of the North American beaver.
*'''[[Civet (perfumery)|Civet]]''': Also called civet musk, this is obtained from the odorous sacs of the civets, animals in the family ''Viverridae'', related to the [[mongoose]]. [[World Animal Protection]] investigated African civets caught for this purpose.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.profumo.it/internet-documents/zibetto/suffering.htm|title=Civet suffering|website=Profumo.it|date=5 August 2014|access-date=19 February 2018|archive-date=15 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015051904/http://profumo.it/internet-documents/zibetto/suffering.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
*'''[[Hyraceum]]''': Commonly known as "Africa stone", is the petrified excrement of the [[rock hyrax]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Olsen |first=Andreas |author2=Linda C. Prinsloo |author3=Louis Scott |author4=Anna K. Jägera |date=November–December 2008 |title=Hyraceum, the fossilized metabolic product of rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis), shows GABA-benzodiazepine receptor affinity |journal=South African Journal of Science |volume=103 |url=http://www.up.ac.za/dspace/bitstream/2263/5788/1/Olsen_Hyraceum(2007).pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606173008/http://www.up.ac.za/dspace/bitstream/2263/5788/1/Olsen_Hyraceum%282007%29.pdf |archive-date=6 June 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*'''[[Honeycomb]]''': From the honeycomb of the [[honeybee]]. Both beeswax and honey can be solvent extracted to produce an absolute. Beeswax is extracted with ethanol and the ethanol evaporated to produce beeswax absolute.
*'''[[Musk]]''': Originally derived from a gland (sac or pod) located between the genitals and the umbilicus of the Himalayan male [[musk deer]] Moschus moschiferus, it has now mainly been replaced by the use of [[synthetic musk]]s sometimes known as "white musk".

===Other natural sources===
* '''[[Lichen]]s''': Commonly used lichens include [[oakmoss]] and [[treemoss]] thalli.
* '''[[Brown algae|"Seaweed"]]''': Distillates are sometimes used as [[essential oil]] in perfumes. An example of a commonly used seaweed is ''[[Fucus vesiculosus]]'', which is commonly referred to as bladder wrack. Natural seaweed fragrances are rarely used due to their higher cost and lower potency than synthetics.

===Synthetic sources===
{{main| Aroma compound}}
Many modern perfumes contain [[chemical synthesis|synthesized]] odorants. Synthetics can provide fragrances which are not found in nature. For instance, [[Calone]], a compound of synthetic origin, imparts a fresh ozonous metallic marine scent that is widely used in contemporary perfumes. Synthetic aromatics are often used as an alternate source of compounds that are not easily obtained from natural sources. For example, [[linalool]] and [[coumarin]] are both naturally occurring compounds that can be inexpensively synthesized from [[terpenes]]. Orchid scents (typically ''[[salicylic acid|salicylates]]'') are usually not obtained directly from the plant itself but are instead synthetically created to match the fragrant compounds found in various orchids.

One of the most commonly used classes of synthetic aromatics by far are the [[synthetic musk|white musk]]s. These materials are found in all forms of commercial perfumes as a neutral background to the middle notes. These musks are added in large quantities to laundry detergents in order to give washed clothes a lasting "clean" scent.

The majority of the world's synthetic aromatics are created by relatively few [[:Category:Fragrance companies|companies]]. They include:
* [[Givaudan]]
* [[International Flavors and Fragrances]] (IFF)
* [[Firmenich]]
* [[Takasago International Corporation|Takasago]]
* [[Symrise]]
Each of these companies patents several processes for the production of aromatic synthetics annually.

===Characteristics===
Natural and synthetics are used for their different odor characteristics in perfumery
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!|
! style="background:#ff5656;"|Naturals
! style="background:#5656ff;"|Synthetics
|-
!|Variance
|Natural scents will vary from each supplier based on when and where they are harvested, how they are processed, and the extraction method itself. This means that a certain flower grown in Morocco and in France will smell different, even if the same method is used to grow, harvest, and extract the scent. As such, each perfumer will prefer flowers grown in one country over another, or one extraction method to the next. However, due to a natural scent's mixed composition, it is easy for unscrupulous suppliers to adulterate the actual raw materials by changing its ''source'' (adding Indian jasmine into Grasse jasmine) or the ''contents'' (adding linalool to rosewood) to increase their [[profit margin]].
|Much more consistent than natural aromatics. However, differences in organic synthesis may result in minute differences in concentration of impurities. If these impurities have low smell (detection) thresholds, the differences in the scent of the synthetic aromatic will be significant.
|-
!|Components
|Contains many different organic compounds, each adding a different note to the overall scent. Certain naturally derived substances have a long history of use, but this cannot always be used as an indicator of whether they are safe or not. Possible allergenic or carcinogenic compounds.
|Depending on purity, consists primarily of one chemical compound. Sometimes [[Chirality (chemistry)|chiral]] mixtures of isomers, such as in the case of [[Iso E Super]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Iso E Super |publisher=International Flavors & Fragrances |year=2007 |url=http://www.iff.com/Ingredients.nsf/0/E69A1213546C4F8B80256993003995C6 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080223080634/http://www.iff.com/Ingredients.nsf/0/E69A1213546C4F8B80256993003995C6 |archive-date=23 February 2008}}</ref> Due to the almost pure composition of one chemical compound, the same molecules found diluted in nature will have a different scent and effect on the body, if used undiluted.
|-
!|Scent uniqueness
|Reminiscent of its originating material, although extraction may capture a different "layer" of the scent, depending on how the extraction method denatures the odoriferous compounds.
|Similar to natural scents yet different at the same time. Some synthetics attempt to mimic natural notes, while others explore the entire spectrum of scent. Novel scent compounds not found in nature will often be unique in their scent.
|-
!|Scent complexity
|Deep and complex fragrance notes. Soft, with subtle scent nuances. Highly valued for ideal composition.
|Pure and pronounced fragrance notes. Often monotonous in nature, yet reminiscent of other natural scents.
|-
!|Price
|Dependent on extraction method. More expensive, but not always, as prices are determined by the labor and difficulty of properly extracting each unit of the natural materials, as well as its quality. Typically the relationship between, longevity of a perfume, cost and the concentration of essential oils follows the graph below:
[[File:Cologne Strength vs. Cost vs. Cologne Concentration.jpg|thumb|This chart shows the typical relationship between price of perfume, its longevity and the concentration of essential oils.]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.topcolognesformen.com/cgi-sys/suspendedpage.cgi|title=Account Suspended|website=Topcolognesformen.com|access-date=4 September 2019|archive-date=4 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904125531/http://www.topcolognesformen.com/cgi-sys/suspendedpage.cgi|url-status=live}}</ref>
|Dependent on synthesis method. Generally cheaper, but not necessarily. Synthetic aromatics are not necessarily cheaper than naturals, with some synthetics being more costly than most natural ingredients due to various factors such as the long synthesis routes, low availability of precursor chemicals, and low overall yield. However, due to their low odor threshold, they should be diluted when making a perfume.
|}